Learn What to Put in the Objective Section of a Resume

The readers of Proper Resumes articles often wonder about the objective section of their resumes. What do they include? Is this part necessary at all?

Why Is It Important to Know What to Put in the Objective Section of a Resume?

Before we explain why it’s important, let’s answer a common question: what is the objective section of a resume? The objective section of resume is a brief statement at the beginning of the resume. It should clearly outline your career goals while presenting you as the best fit for the particular job.

When you’re applying for a position, it’s important for the hiring manager to know how it fits into your career direction. If you present a clear, targeted, and specifically tailored statement that shows you’ve done the research, you’ll make a good first impression.

Some people wonder: should they include it at all? You don’t have to. If done wrong, the objective can make you look like an amateur. When done right, however, it will enhance the appeal of your resume.

Tips: What to Write in the Objective Section of a Resume

As a job candidate, you probably have a clear objective: to get this job. Well, it’s not that easy. The resume objective section should show how this position fits into your overall career objective.

“Okay then, I won’t include it.” Well, it’s not that easy. When you figure out what should go in the objective section of a resume, you’ll realize it’s more than useful. Plus, it’s not difficult to write it. Follow these tips:

Target It!

The objective has to be very concise. Remember: the hiring manager will go through hundreds of resumes for a single job opening. If it’s a really popular organization, they may even get thousands of applications per position. Your objective should show why you’re the perfect choice for it.

How do you achieve such effect?

Include the desired job title or target in the resume objective. “High-school teacher looking to contribute to students’ growth, employee relations and administration effectiveness in School District of Clayton.” In a single sentence, this high-school teacher shows what his career goal is and how he wants to pursue them – through the precise position he’s applying for.

If you have several career goals, create different versions of your resume to submit to employment websites.

Be Very Specific

Vagueness is one of the most common mistake people make when writing their resume objectives. “Seeking a challenging job position that gives opportunities for career growth and personal development.” These are too many words that say nothing.

Take another look at the specific example in the previous tip. When we say the objective has to be specific, that’s what we have in mind.

Show the Employer How You’d Benefit Them

Let’s use the example with the high-school teacher again. From that brief objective, we see what he wants to achieve. However, the part “contribute to students’ growth, employee relations and administration effectiveness” show us that the employer would benefit from this hire, too.

When you’re writing the objective, it’s important to focus on how you will benefit the organization.

It’s Time to Write the Objective Section on Resume

You’re not obligated to write an objective section resume. If you really don’t know how to write about yourself, you can simply omit it. However, don’t forget that the objective can position you as someone the organization could really use.

When is the resume objective extremely useful? – When you’re targeting a specific position or you’re changing industries. In those two cases, you should definitely write it.

Remember: you can’t use the same objective for every job application. If you have such an objective that fits every time, it’s probably too vague and unappealing.

The reviews at ProperResumes.com will help you find a writing service that can take care of this for you. Consider that option if you can’t pull off the resume section, but you still want it there. Before doing that, we recommend you to try write your own objective. Follow the tips above. Are you ready?